Ganjam: The Odisha Excise Department has intensified its campaign against the illegal manufacture of country liquor, carrying out a major joint raid in the protected forest areas of Ganjam district.
The operation was conducted in the hilly forest stretches and areas near streams at Dahabada and Gujaling, under the jurisdiction of Jarada police station. Acting on information about illegal liquor production, a joint team entered the forest and dismantled several illicit liquor-making units operating in the area.
34,800 Litres of Fermented Wash Destroyed
During the crackdown, officials destroyed around 34,800 litres of jaggery-based fermented wash, which was allegedly being used as raw material for producing illicit country liquor.
In addition, the enforcement team destroyed approximately 1,510 litres of adulterated country-made liquor recovered during the operation.
According to the Excise Department, the estimated combined value of the fermented wash and illicit liquor destroyed during the raid is more than Rs 20 lakh.
The destruction of the materials is expected to disrupt illegal liquor production networks operating from the remote forest areas.
Joint Operation by Excise and Police Teams
The raid involved personnel from multiple Excise offices and the local police.
Officials from the Chikiti Excise Police Station, Berhampur Excise Department and Digapahandi Excise office participated in the operation. The Officer-in-Charge of Jarada police station, along with other police personnel, also joined the enforcement team.
The joint team conducted searches across the forested and stream-side areas before dismantling the illegal manufacturing units and destroying the fermented wash and liquor found at the locations.
Illegal Liquor Production in Remote Forest Areas
Remote forest locations are often used by illegal liquor manufacturers to conceal production activities and make enforcement more difficult. The latest operation highlights the efforts of the Excise Department and police to identify and dismantle such units.
The use of jaggery-based fermented wash in the illicit production process was a major focus of the raid, with thousands of litres destroyed by the enforcement team.
Officials have been stepping up action against the illegal manufacture and sale of country liquor, particularly where such activities are carried out away from regular habitation and in difficult-to-access areas.
Enforcement Drive to Continue
The latest raid forms part of the department’s wider crackdown on the illegal production, storage and distribution of country liquor in Odisha.
The destruction of more than 34,000 litres of fermented wash, along with over 1,500 litres of illicit liquor, represents a significant enforcement action in Ganjam.
Authorities are expected to continue monitoring vulnerable forest and rural areas to prevent illegal liquor units from re-emerging and to take action against those involved in unauthorised liquor production.
